'Our role is integral to football's future' - independent football regulator the regulator's chair
The team's current difficulties represent a a "significant problem" and the independent regulator is aiming to acquire authority to investigate clubs in comparable cases, its new chair the regulator has announced.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kogan, who was named to the position this week, showed understanding towards the club's followers.
Kogan met with four fan organizations representing the Championship side recently.
The team have been struggling on and off the field in this season, with the club delaying salary disbursements on multiple instances, including in last month.
"Clearly Sheffield Wednesday has been a serious issue for football authorities and a significant problem for football," the regulator explained.
"Wednesday stands as one of the historic institutions for football in England and in recent days we have met fan representatives.
"We're now looking to get powers... which will permit us to bring the club and similar situations referred to us if they warrant scrutiny and acted upon."
Monetary Issues and Proprietorship Status
Wednesday's embattled owner the Thai businessman suggested earlier this year he would be willing to sell up at the stadium, but he has been unable to finalize an agreement with interested parties.
Missed wage deadlines on time in earlier this year caused limitations by the league officials in June, blocking the team from conducting any transfers or loans for the next three transfer windows, although those limitations were removed in late summer.
Regulator's Perspective
The regulator explained: "The job [of the regulator] is there for the supporters of Wednesday, Bury or any football club where fans are dedicated to a local institution that has existed throughout their lifetimes in many cases.
"I fully appreciate Sheffield Wednesday, as I do for each organization that since 1992 have gone to the wall, or been close to going to the wall, for causes separate from the followers."
Questioned about whether the authority might compel an owner to sell a club if they are judged inappropriate, the regulator answered: "If your question is 'would we intervene in the final instance?', the response would be once we assemble the facts and understand the situation, we will."
But the regulator clarified that forcing owners to sell clubs would be treated as a "last resort" and the authority would rather to work with them.
"The final option we would consider is start getting involved with an individual club, an particular chairman, without being able to work with that owner to try and resolve the problems affecting the organization and the chairman's encountering," the regulator explained.
"In actuality, when you examine the past of the game, over the recent generations there have been certain proprietors, few in number, but some who have been irresponsible in the way which they've been managing their clubs and ultimately refuse to accept accountability for the coming years."
Wednesday followers have been voicing opposition to the current proprietor in recent months
'If we get it wrong, extraordinary progress vanishes'
The chairman convened with representatives from 110 clubs to lay out the remit of the oversight body this week and stated it constituted a "progressive gathering" with a "substantial involvement" from the National League to the Premier League.
"The role holds considerable importance, because should mistakes occur, if the football community fails, the extraordinary progress that's been made necessary will vanish rapidly," the chairman stated.
"Such an outcome is universally undesirable in the terms of English football is a huge success story - we must maintain momentum.
"There's an enormous amount of money entering the sport and has been channeled for the past two decades, because there's no guarantee it will continue to come into football, which is among the factors explaining I think we have to maintain a focused outlook on risk and of course, of the next two or three years."
Premier League Concerns
Elite division representatives objected to the establishment of an oversight body because of fears of a negative impact on the top-flight's competitiveness, but the chairman responded: "I fully support the prosperity and expansion as an financial organization of the elite league.
"As someone who appreciates the concern of undermining the Premier League as a premium product of this country. But at the same time, if you consult with top flight officials after this week's discussion, they would have had a significant degree of comfort -and, actually, they have been advising us privately they have a high level of reassurance."
Ideological Links
Kogan is still facing a "thorough examination" by the Commissioner for Public Appointments after he revealed he contributed money to the Labour Party in the past.
The official contributed funds to government minister Lisa Nandy's leadership campaign, along with that of the government leader.
"I've been completely open about my previous political affiliation [with Labour], and that party membership ceased the day the official body endorsed my nomination," the regulator explained.
"I am no longer involved in any form of political activity."
